Oil-well device.



No. 802,182. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. O. E. DOWNS.

OIL WELL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OIL-WELL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed June 17, 1905. Serial No- 265,717.

To aZL whom it may concern:

Be it known that LOHARLEs E. Downs, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Mannington, in the county of Marion and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Well Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in oil-well devices; and the invention relates more particularly to a novel form of gripping member.

The primary object of the invention is to provide novel means for automatically gripping an object whereby it can be elevated. To this end I have devised a novel form of gripping member adapted to be used in connection with oil-wells. The device is employed for removing standing valves from oil-wells and in this connection is adapted to be carried by the lower end of the lower working valve of a working barrel. My improved gripping member can also be used in connection with Artesian wells for gripping certain types of drills that may have become detached from the drill-cable or its support.

The invention also consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and referring to the drawings accompanying this application like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the lower end of a working barrel, illustrating a working valve equipped with my improved trip-socket. also showing a standing valve adapted to be gripped by said member. Fig.

I 2 is a vertical sectional view of my improved gripping member upon a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a locking washer or nut. Fig. 4 isa similar view of a toothed wheel. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of an actuating rod or bar. Fig.

6 is a. perspective view of one of the grip-- ping-arms. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines a a, b b, 0 0, and (Z cl, respectively, of Fig. 2; and Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are similar views taken in the lines a c, ff, and g g, respectively, of

To put my invention into practice, I provide a sleeve 1, having a reduced screwthreaded end 2, which is adapted to be secured in the lower end of a section of pipe 3, carried by a working valve 4, which is mounted in a working barrel 5. The lower end of the sleeve 1 is provided with a plurality of vertically-disnosed elongated openings 6, and in the end of the sleeve protrudes the tubular contracted end 7 of a grip-socket 8. Thetubular contracted end 7 is retained within the sleeve 1 by screws 9, which extend through the openings 6 and engage the tubular end 7 of the socket.

The socket 8 is provided with a plurality of vertically-disposed slots 10, the lower ends of which have their sides cut away, as indicated at 11. In the socket 8 I mount a head 12, to the periphery of which I secure gripping-arms 14 by suitable fastening means,such as screws 15. These gripping-arms extend into the slots 10 of the socket, and the lower vend of each gripping-arm is provided with an inwardly-extending lug 15, the inner face of which tapers and is provided with a slight concavity 16. v The lower end of each gripping-arm is also provided with outwardly-extending side wings 17 17, adapted to engage in the cut-away portions 11 of the slots 10 10.

In the upper end of the sleeve 1 I mount a collar 18, upon which is mounted a toothed wheel 19, having a bore 20. The toothed wheel is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, where it will be seen that the top and bottom sides of the wheel are provided with collars 21 21, and by again referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the lowermost collar fits into the collar 18, while the uppermost collar is surrounded bya locking washer or nut 22. The inner side walls of the sleeve 1 are provided with verticallydisposed grooves 23 to receive vertically-disposed ribs 24:, carried by the periphery of the lockingnut 22. The bottom of the locking-nut is recessed, as indicated at 25, to receive the uppermost collar 20 of the toothed wheel 19. The top face of the locking-nut is also provided with a collar 26, and the bore 27 of the locking-nut and the bore 20 of the toothed wheel are provided with vertically-disposed grooves 28 and 29.

A rod 30, carried by the head 12 of the tripsocket, extends upwardly through the contracted tubular end 7 of the socket into the sleeve 1, said rod passing upwardly through the collar 18 and the bores 20 and 27 of the toothed wheel 19 and the locking-nut 22, respectively. The rod 30 is provided upon one of its sides near its upper end with a rib 31,

which is normally retained in the groove 28 of thelocking-nut, but at predetermined times enters the groove 29 of the toothed wheel, as will be presently described. The rod is surrounded by a coiled spring 32, the upper end of which is attached to the collar 18, while the lower of said spring engages the top of the head 12, carried by said rod. For the convenience of manipulation the rod 30 is provided with a head or knob 33.

The inner wall of the sleeve 1 is provided with a vertically-disposed groove 34, in which is mounted an actuating-bar 35. The lower end of the bar is connected by a screw 36 to the grip-socket 8, said grip-socket being cut away, as indicated at 37, to accommodate the lower end of said bar and the screw 36. The upper end of the bar is provided with diagonally-disposed teeth 38, adapted to engage the teeth 39 of the toothed wheel 19, said teeth being provided with curved or convex faces 40. The locking-nut 22 is provided with a recess 41 to accommodate the upper end of the actuating-bar 35.

Interposed between the lower end of the sleeve 18 and the top of the contracted end 7 is a coiled spring 42, employed to retain the trip-socket 8 in an extended position relative to the sleeve 1.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have illustrated a standing valve 43, the upper end of which I provide with an upwardly-extending pin 44, carrying a cone shaped head 45, which is adapted to be gripped by the arms 14 when it is desired to remove the standing valve 43.

The operation of the above parts as constructed is as follows: Prior to placing the working valve 4 in an oil-well the lower end of the valve is equipped with a section of pipe 3, carrying a sleeve 1, and its appurtenant parts, including the gripping member 8. Before placing the sleeve 1 in engagement with the section of pipe 3 the rod 30 is gripped and elevated until the rib 31 rests upon the top of the uppermost collar 21 of the toothed wheel 19. This is accomplished by setting the toothed wheel whereby the groove 29 of said wheel will not aline with the rib 31. The elevation of the rod 30 retains the head 12 and the gripping-arms in an elevated position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

When it is desired to remove the standing valve 43, the working valve and the gripping member 8 are lowered until the gripping member embraces the pin 44. Upon the tripsocket resting upon the standing valve 43 the weight of the gripping member is relieved from the working valve; but as the weight of the sleeve and its appurtenant parts is still sustained by the working valve the sleeve 1 will travel downwardly upon the contracted tubular end 7 of the member 8. This downward movement of the sleeve 1 causes the toothed wheel 19 to rotate. This is accomplished by the bar being held stationary by the member 8, and as the sleeve 1 moves downwardly, carrying with it the toothed wheel 19 and the lock-nut 20, the outer toothed end of the bar '35 engages the curved side 40 of one of the teeth 39 and rotates the same on account of the diagonal positioning of the teeth 38.

As the wheel 19 rotates the groove 29 of said wheel is carried into alinement with the rib 31 of the rod 30, which permits said rod to descend, the spring 32, which surrounds said rod, having been compressed by the elevation of the rod 30 prior to the member 8 engaging the standing valve. The downward movement of the rod 30, carrying the head 12, causes the arms 14 to engage the cone-shaped head of the standing valve, and as the confronting faces of the lugs 15 of said arms are tapered the arms will pass downwardly over the head 45 and embrace the same, the lugs of said arms engaging under the head 45 of the pin 44. By pulling upwardly upon the valve the standing valve can be readily removed from the working barrel. I have employed the locking-nut 22' to prevent the rod 30 from rotating, also to act as a guide for the upper end of the actuating-bar 35.

1 preferably form the arms 14 of resilient material, as spring-steel, whereby they will spread outwardly over the head 45 of the pin 44 and then engage the underneath surface of said head.

It will be observed that I have provided the pipe 3 with openings 3" and with a partition 4, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) the openings being provided to permit fluid to pass from the working barrel 5 into and through the working barrel 4, while the partition 4 is provided to prevent sediment from interfering with the working parts of the socket.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention.

What Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Ina device of the type described, the

IIO

combination with a working valve, and a standing valve, of a cone-shaped head carried by said standing valve, a sleeve carried by the lower end of said working valve, a gripping member slidably mounted 'in said sleeve, and embodying a plurality of resilient arms, means carried by said sleeve to normally hold said arms in an elevated position, and means carried by said trip-socket and actuated by the lowering of said sleeve, to release the first-named means, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination with a working valve and a standing valve, of a sleeve attached to the lower end of said working valve, a gripping member'slidably mounted in said. sleeve, and embodying a plurality of resilient arms, and adapted to engage said standing valve, means carried by said sleeve to retain said arms in an inoperative position, and means contained within said sleeve to release the first-named means, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination With a Working valve, of a gripping member carried by said valve, and embodying resilient spring-depressed arms adapted to engage a standing valve, means carried by said Working valve to retain said arms in an elevated position, and means to release said IO arms by the lowering of said valve, substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. DOWNS. Witnesses:

W. M. HESS, J. J. DoWNs. 

